Maria Sakkari’s US Open campaign began with unexpected disappointment as the World No. 9 was forced to retire from her first-round match against Wang Yafan due to a lingering shoulder injury. Sakkari, who had spent weeks meticulously preparing for the tournament, was determined to make a strong start at Flushing Meadows. However, fate had other plans for the Greek tennis star.
During the match, Sakkari struggled from the outset, losing the first set 6-2 as Wang dominated early. The Chinese player broke Sakkari’s serve in the opening game and swiftly advanced to a 5-1 lead. At this point, Sakkari called for a lengthy medical timeout to address issues with her shoulder and neck. Despite her return to the court, she was unable to regain her rhythm or control the match.
Before the start of the second set, Sakkari made the difficult decision to retire, citing her inability to continue playing at her best. The retirement marked a painful end to her US Open aspirations, and she was later seen in tears, visibly distressed by the early exit and the reemergence of her shoulder troubles.
This unfortunate incident followed Sakkari’s earlier withdrawal from both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters, where she was unable to compete due to the same shoulder injury. The injury had also hampered her performance at the Paris Olympics, where she suffered a third-round defeat to Marta Kostyuk.
Maria Sakkari retires from her first round US Open match against Yafan Wang.
Very sad to see this.
Yafan played well, but Maria just wasn’t healthy.
Wishing her a quick recovery. 🙏❤️‍🩹 pic.twitter.com/8zdLhY59Pm
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 26, 2024
Sakkari’s early exit from the US Open represents another setback in her quest for a major title, underscoring the challenges that injuries can pose to even the most prepared athletes. Her frustration was palpable, as the World No. 9 saw her hopes of success in New York dashed by circumstances beyond her control.
Maria Sakkari in 2024
LLWWLWWLLL Now ranked no.9, the Greek played her last match on the 26th of August when she had to retire when playing against world no.80 Yafan Wang in the 1st round and the scoreline was 6-2 .
During this season the Greek has an overall 25-16 match record. Maria Sakkari’s best performance of the current year was getting to the final in Indian Wells.
